Rail truck suspension



4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 5, 1947 t www 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 30, 1951 E. H. PIRON RAIL. TRUCK SUSPENSION Filed July s, 1947 Oct. 30, 1951 E. H. PlRoN RAIL TRUCK SUSPENSION Filed July 5, 19217 4 Sheets-Sheet Patented Oct. 30, v1951 UNITED STATES PATENT oEElc-E RAIL TRUCK SUSPENSIONV Emil H. Piron, New York, N. Y., assignor to Tran-v sit Research Corporation, .L New York, ,N. Y., a vcorporation of New York Application July 3, 1947, Serial N o. 758,941

(c1. 2st- 3) 3 Claims. 1 This invention relates to rail trucks intended for moderately high speed and high speed, which may or may not carry self-propelling motors and has for its object to provide an improved truck which will give improved operation and which will give improvedriding .comfort particularly at higher speeds. j l v An important object of the invention is to provide a truck having outboard bearings, the frame for which is composed of two main parts hingedly connected at diagonally opposite journal bearings.- The frame is thus rigid against distortion in a horizontal plane but 'flexible vertically. The two frame vparts rest freely on the journal bearings and upon each other, 'the frame being maintained in assembly merely byV its weight and thev Weight of the car body supported thereby.

The bolster springs'constitute essentially the truck springing system and a further important object is to provide improved springsfor sup-v porting each end'of the bolster from the side rails of the truck frame.` These'springs are each composed of nested springs-acting inseries-,Ywith each spring in the series being limited in its extent of deflection under vertical loading.v The spring can thus be-given load-deflection characteristics by which substantial deflection occurs under light loading and increasingly stiffer resistance to increasing loading.

Another object isto provide improved vibration damping and a resistance tothe transmission of short wave vibrations between the truck and the car body supported thereon by separating the truck frame halves by rubber, by forming the bolster springs of rubber and by employing rubber pads fore and aft of the bolster, these pads having the dual function of serving both as friction means opposing motion of the bolster with respect to the frame and as transoms for assisting in transmitting driving and retarding forces between the bolster and the frame. For most uses shock absorbers will not -be needed although they may be added between the bolster and the frame if desired. P

Other objects and advantages will become hereinaiter more fully apparent as reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which my invention is illustratedand in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved track,

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof,

Figure 3 is a detail longitudinal section of the truck frame taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1, Y

Figure 4 is a detail longitudinal section of the truck frame taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1,

Figure 5is a detai1 cross-section of the truck frame' taken along the line 5-5 of Figure l,

Figure 6 is an enlarged diametric section through `a -bolster spring taken lalong the line 6 6 of Figure11,and

Figure 'l is a longitudinal section through one end of the bolster taken along the line 'I-'I. of Figure 1- and showing the spring partially in elevation and partiallynsection. Y

.Moreparticularlm I indicates each ofthe four wheels of the truck whichsupport two axlesV 2. The axles have outboard bearings 3 at each end thereof iitting into bearing boxes `4 which support the truck frame. n

The truck frame is composedv of .two identical frame halves 5 and 6 each consisting of a goose neck end 1, a side rail 8 integral with the goose necked end 'Land having a second goose necked portion 9, a cross Vrail l0 and a second goose "necked end I I. Ajournal box 4 at one end of one axle 2 fits into the end Il of one frame half and the journal box 4 :at the opposite end of the other frame half, and the journal box 4 at the opposite end of the other frame half fits into the corresponding end 4 of the other frame half. 'I'he end I of each frame half overlies the endIIof the other spring half, being separated therefrom by a rubber pad I2. The goose necked portions S of each frame halfireceive the other two journal boxes 4 located at diagonally opposite corners ofthe truck. Y f "Y With the frame as just described it will be noted that no fore and' aft relative motion between the axles 2 and the frame is contemplated, It will also be noted that the rubber pieces -I2 are merely pads and that no horizontal relative motion between the end 1 ofone framer half and the adjacent end I I of the other frame half is contemplated. However, the top of the ends Il is semi-cylindrical as is also the interior surface 0f the ends I with the result that -any one of the four wheels of the truck may be elevated or depressed from the plane of4 otherwheels. The frame is thus rigid against distortion by hori- Zontal forces but exible in a vertical direction. Furthermore, the sidewalls of the goose necked portions II and4 9 are parallel below their semicylindrical vbearing box receiving portions, with the result that the two frame halves may be separated vfrom Veach other and from operative connection with the journal boxes by vertically lifting them. Intermediate the lengthof the' side rails 8,

platforms I3, as shown in Figure 7,' are provided for the support of the composite bolster springs, one spring supporting each end of the bolster I4. These springs are each composed of three concentric springs I5, I6, and I1. the outer one I and the intermediate one I6 of which are each composed of a circular stacked series of frustoconical rings I8 of rubber. For facility of manufacture the rings-I8 are made inpairs,'with the members- Aof eachpair being surface bonded to a common separating metallic ring I9 and the other surfaces surface bonded to additional metallic rings 20. The rings 20 of one pair are dowelled or otherwise secured to the adjacent 'rin`g'20 "of the adjoining pair.

The frusto-conical shapefoftheringsnis recom- 2 1 mended since this shape gives increased stability as compared with horizontal placement -of the metal rings. In the shape illustrated vertical forces are resisted by the rings actingdn-compression and horizontal forces are resisted by the ringsacting i partly in :shear .and .partly =in compression,the greateritheconicity of ,the rings the greater .is the resistance tolhorizontal forces by compression.

The'interior spring I1 isy also composed of a stack of frusto conical rings 2| j;of'rubber-sepa rated by metallic prings 22 of the same shape. Since nthese rings y2l `and C22 :are substantially wider vthan the ringsgIf-and I9 they need not be surface bonded but maybegsimply stacked on a base piecev23lof proper shape to receive the lowermost-'ring 22 and capped by a Atoppiece 24./which fitsrthe upper contour of the top ring 2l. Extending downwardly into the spring i1y is a shaft 25 which acts as a safeguard against possible relative i displacement of the rings.

The outer spring I5 rests upon the platform I3and, at its top, supports a cup 2t by its rim 21, 'the cup being open at its bottom'except for a bottom rim 28 which supports'the spring I6. Asecond cup 2.9 -is `supported by its top rim 30 'on thespring IBfand this,cup..29,4 in turn, supports the spring-I1. AThe bolster I4 is formed to receive the top of .the.top.piece 24.so .that the weight of the 'bolster carried, underflight load conditionsy'solelyby the 'top pieces'24. yAs the loading increases all of .thesprings I1-IB andI5 deilect'jointly,-since'theyfare in series. After-a substantial deflection. that under increasing loading, litis .desirabietnat the aa deflection ratio of -the vsprings increase-and lI therefore provide individual stops for the ,springs so that the springs progressively ceaseqtov perform any springing functionA beyond a predetermined deflection of each thereof. Thus, thestop rings 3|, carried by the bolster will contact the rim 30 of the cup 29 to Abottom on the-platform I3 thus limitingv the maximum possible deflection of the spring I5.

The load deflection curve of these composite bolster springs, initially, is thus that -of Iawsoft rubber .in compressionand, after contact of-the rim 30 with the stop-3| itis va similarcurvebut becomes steeper, and after contact of the rim 21 with the stop 32 the curveisstill similar butsteeper yet.

'Thebolster springs are capable .of horizontal deflection-to permitspringing movements bythe bolster. Were the rings .I9 horizontal-the load deflection curve would bea straight line ytypical of fshear. Because of .the frusta-conical shape .of these vrings theresistance of the `springsfis a combination of shear and compression. Since the vshear characteristic. is substantial theload deflection. curvel is substantially atter Lthanthe CJI skirts 31 for rubbing engagement with the blocks 35.. After. wear, shims may be inserted behind mthe'blocls`35 so that they will always have rub- :hing engagement with the bolster. iseprovided'with flanges 38 (Figure l) for contactwith'^thebrackets 34 and 35 in case of a tendencyiof thebolster to swing excessively in The bolster either direction.

Driving motors 39 each has a propeller shaft 48 for driving gears (not shown) contained in the axle .housings-'4 liand a torque-arm l2-extends fromleach housing`f4l into albracket J113 carried by across -memberl0 vofthe frame. The torque arms are connected to thebracketsliil by pins'44.4` V-The motorsl39 :are carried I -by rvcross members 45, oneofthesecross members 'beingpivotally secured to one side rail 8 and the other one being pivotal'lyisecured to the other side rail 8 ras* shown inFigure'l. The lotherend of each of these members is` supported "by arubber ccmpressionspring surrounded by'a"coi1fspring '41 (Figure vr6) housed 'by the bracket "34. "A similar "rubber spring 48 andl a similar `coil`spr1ng l t9 is "placed between the 'top of 'each "member '45 'and'that partof thebracketA 3llimmediately'thereabove `The`liberal use`of rubber inv thetruck serves to-damp the' high frequency oscillations' between the frame and the car body'expected to vbecarried bythe bolster at itscen'terbearing' 5i). The rubber, asA illustrated, will:` give proper .springing and riding Vcharacteristics for ver-tical.r and horizontal forces and,by -virtue of thehysteresis developed by-it provides valuable inherentdamping. The frictionall valueyof rubberv againstv steel is-also suchthat no other damping will be .neededV in manyrtypes of lservicestofwhich thisitruck may be adapted.

Various changes maybe'made-in the arrangement; size and .design of yparts iwithout' departing fromithe. spiritoflmy inventioniandAI therefore desire' to be. extendedprotection 'asl defined bythe :appended claims.

WhatI claimiiis 1. The comloinzaltion-V of-'acomposite spring an'd load imposing Handi load receiving members forsaid spring, saidspring comprising '.tl-iree con. centric springs, i-the f. outerone and the Lintermediate-onefof saidl-springsl'comprising a vertical stackiof rubber rings separatediby-'metallic rings, each' of said metallic :rings being rusto-conical intermediate Athe topfandfv b'ottom'roffsaid'.springs, said rings being surface bonded in pairs toaico'mmon metallic ring and to other rings-'at theirfaces.

rubber ringsagainst-relative bodily displacement under relative lateral movements of said members.

2. In a rail truck, the combination oi a truck frame, a bolster supported by said frame and a composite spring interposed between the side rails of said frame and each end of said bolster, said spring comprising a plurality of concentric member springs each composed of a stack of rubber rings separated by horizontally disposed frusta-conical metal rings, said springs each resisting relative vertical movements of said bolster and said frame in compression and resisting relative lateral movements of said frame and said bolster by a combination of shear and compression.

3. In a rail truck, the combination of a truck frame, a bolster supported by said frame and a composite spring interposed between the side rails of said frame and each end of said bolster, said spring comprising a plurality of concentric member springs each composed of a stack of rubber rings separated by -horizontally disposed frusto-conical metal rings, the outer member spring of said composite springs resting on said side rails, the intermediate member thereof being supported by the top of said outer member spring and, in turn, supporting the inner member spring from the top thereof whereby said 5 springs resist vertical loading in series and in compression, said bolster being supported by the top of said inner member spring, said springs jointly resisting relative lateral movements of said bolster with respect to said frame by a combination of shear and compression.

EMIL H. PIRON.

REFEREN CES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

